The characteristics of glucose homoeostasis in grass carp and Chinese longsnout catfish after oral starch administration: a comparative study between herbivorous and carnivorous species of fish.

An oral starch administration trial was used to evaluate glucose homoeostasis in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and Chinese longsnout catfish (Leiocassis longirostris Günther). Fish were administered with 3 g of a water and starch mixture (with 3:2 ratio) per 100 g body weight after fasting for 48 h. Fish were sampled at 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after oral starch administration.

Genetic Reprogramming of Positional Memory in a Regenerating Appendage.

Certain vertebrates such as salamanders and zebrafish are able to regenerate complex tissues (e.g., limbs and fins) with remarkable fidelity.

The Paf1 complex and P-TEFb have reciprocal and antagonist roles in maintaining multipotent neural crest progenitors.

Multipotent progenitor populations are necessary for generating diverse tissue types during embryogenesis. We show the RNA polymerase-associated factor 1 complex (Paf1C) is required to maintain multipotent progenitors of the neural crest (NC) lineage in zebrafish. Mutations affecting each Paf1C component result in near-identical NC phenotypes; mutant embryos carrying a null mutation in were analyzed in detail.

Transferrin Receptor 1-Associated Iron Accumulation and Oxidative Stress Provides a Way for Grass Carp to Fight against Reovirus Infection.

Iron is an essential element, closely linked with host immune responses. Nevertheless, the relationship between iron metabolism and virus infection is still unclear in aquatic vertebrates. To address this issue, we employed grass carp () and its lethal virus, grass carp reovirus (GCRV), a double-strand RNA virus, as models.

Susceptibility and immune responses after challenge with Flavobacterium columnare and Pseudomonas fluorescens in conventional and specific pathogen-free rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus).

The susceptibility of fish from different culture environments to bacterial infection is not well known. The susceptibility and pathological changes of conventional (CV) and specific pathogen-free (SPF) rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) infected with two gram-negative bacteria, Flavobacterium columnare and Pseudomonas fluorescens are investigated. Rare minnows were intraperitoneally challenged with two bacterial species to first determine semi-lethal doses (LD), and then with the LD dose, determine innate immune response.

Perfluoropolyether carboxylic acids (novel alternatives to PFOA) impair zebrafish posterior swim bladder development via thyroid hormone disruption.

Perfluoropolyether carboxylic acids (PFECAs, CF(OCF)COO, n = 2-5) are novel alternatives to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and are widely used in industrial production. However, although they have been detected in surface water and human blood, their toxicities on aquatic organisms remain unknown. We used zebrafish embryos to compare the developmental toxicities of various PFECAs (e.

Bioconcentration and depuration of cadmium in the selected tissues of rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) and the effect of dietary mulberry leaf supplementation on depuration.

A 56-day trial was conducted to elucidate the bioconcentration and depuration of Cd in the liver and muscle of rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) and determine the effect of dietary mulberry leaf supplementation on depuration. Juvenile rare minnow were exposed to environmentally relevant doses of Cd (1 and 10 μg/L) for 28 days of uptake and then allowed 28 days of depuration. The bioaccumulation factors of the treated rare minnow in the liver and muscle were calculated to be between 4.

Flumazenil-insensitive benzodiazepine binding sites in GABA receptors contribute to benzodiazepine-induced immobility in zebrafish larvae.

Aims: Benzodiazepines (BZDs) produce various pharmacological actions by binding to and allosterically regulating GABA receptors. Several in vitro studies have demonstrated diazepam, the prototypic BZD, produces a high-dose action that cannot be countered with the classical BZD-binding site antagonist flumazenil. Here, we investigate the existence and behavioral relevance of non-classical BZD binding sites in zebrafish larvae.

Mass spectrometric determination of disulfide bonds and free cysteine in grass carp IgM isoforms.

Disulfide bonds are fundamental in establishing Ig structure and maintaining Ig biological function. Here, we analysed disulfide bonds and free cysteine in three grass carp IgM isoforms (monomeric, dimeric/trimeric, and tetrameric IgM) by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). The results revealed that Cys residue status at the C-terminal tail differed substantially in monomeric IgM in comparison with polymeric IgM, Cys was found as free thiol in monomeric IgM, while it formed disulfide linkages in dimeric/trimeric and tetrameric IgM.

Chitosan reduces the protective effects of IFN-γ2 on grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) against Flavobacterium columnare infection due to excessive inflammation.

IFN-γ is an immunomodulatory factor that has been extensively studied in phenotypes of mammalian macrophages and multifarious inflammatory responses. Usually these studies relied on the classical synergistic activation of IFN-γ with LPS (LipoPolySaccharides). However, non-mammalian vertebrates, and in particular fish, are not very susceptible to LPS, and easily acquire tolerance upon repeated exposure.

Molecular Tweezers-like Calix[4]arene Based Alkaline Earth Metal Cation (Ca, Sr, and Ba) Chemosensor and Its Imaging in Living Cells and Zebrafish.

Although alkaline earth metal cations play an important role in our daily life, little attention has been paid to the field of fast quantitative analysis of their content due to a lack of satisfactory precision and a fast and convenient means of detection. In this study, we have designed a set of molecular tweezers based on the calix[4]arene chemosensor , which was found to exhibit high selectivity and sensitivity toward Ca, Sr, and Ba (by UV-vis and fluorescence methods) with low detection limits of the order of 10 to 10 M and high association constants (of the order of 10). More significantly, sensor not only can recognize Ca, Sr, and Ba but also can further discriminate between these three cations via the differing red shifts in their UV-vis spectra (560 nm for ·Ca, 570 nm for ·Sr, and 580 nm for ·Ba complex) which is attributed to their different atomic radii.

Characterization of boscalid-induced oxidative stress and neurodevelopmental toxicity in zebrafish embryos.

Boscalid is a widely used fungicide in agriculture and has been frequently detected in both environments and agricultural products. However, evidence on the neurotoxic effect of boscalid is scarce. In this study, zebrafish served as an animal model to investigate the toxic effects and mechanisms of boscalid on aquatic vertebrates or higher animals.

Clethodim exposure induced development toxicity and behaviour alteration in early stages of zebrafish life.

Clethodim is one of the most widely used herbicides in agriculture, however, its potential toxic effects on organisms and the underlying toxicity mechanism are still poorly understood. In this study, zebrafish embryos at 6 h post-fertilization (hpf) were exposed to 10 mg/L, 20 mg/L, and 30 mg/L clethodim for up to 24 hpf, and zebrafish larvae at 6 days post-fertilization (dpf) were exposed to the same density gradient for 24 h. Our results showed that clethodim could cause head and cardiovascular malformations in embryos: blurred brain ventricles, unapparent brain regions, condensation of nucleus and cytoplasm in brain cells, increased intercellular space, developmental malformations of eyes and ears, reduced neonatal neurons, disorder migration of neural ridge cells; morphological aberrations of the vascular ICM, slowing of heart beat and blood flow, reduction of circulating red blood cells, and delayed development of head and tail blood vessels.

The Comprehensive Evaluation of Safflowers in Different Producing Areas by Combined Analysis of Color, Chemical Compounds, and Biological Activity.

In the present study, a new strategy including the combination of external appearance, chemical detection, and biological analysis was proposed for the comprehensive evaluation of safflowers in different producing areas. Firstly, 40 batches of safflower samples were classified into class I and II based on color measurements and K-means clustering analysis. Secondly, a rapid and sensitive analytical method was developed for simultaneous quantification of 16 chromaticity-related characteristic components (including characteristic components hydroxysafflor yellow A, anhydrosafflor yellow B, safflomin C, and another 13 flavonoid glycosides) in safflowers by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole linear ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTRAP/MS).

Dysbiosis of gut microbiota by dietary exposure of three graphene-family materials in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

The increasing application and subsequent mass production of graphene-family materials (GFMs) will lead to greater possibilities for their release into the environment. Although GFMs exhibit toxicity toward various aquatic organisms, little information is available on their influence on gut microbiota of aquatic organism. In this study, zebrafish were fed diets containing three GFMs, namely, monolayer graphene powder (GR), graphene oxide nanosheet (GO) and reduced graphene oxide powder (rGO), or appropriate control for 21 days.

Defects in the Exocyst-Cilia Machinery Cause Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease and Aortic Stenosis.

Background: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease is a congenital defect that affects 0.5% to 1.2% of the population and is associated with comorbidities including ascending aortic dilation and calcific aortic valve stenosis.

GCRV hijacks TBK1 to evade IRF7-mediated antiviral immune responses in grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella.

TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) is an important kinase that regulates the activation of interferon regulatory factor 3/7 (IRF3/7) to induce type I interferon (IFN-I) production in antiviral immune responses. However, in long-term virus-host crosstalk, viruses have evolved elaborate strategies to evade host immune defense mechanisms. In the present study, we found that grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) reovirus (GCRV) hijacks TBK1 to escape IRF7-IFN-Is signaling activation.

Vitamin C-dependent lysine demethylase 6 (KDM6)-mediated demethylation promotes a chromatin state that supports the endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)/progenitor cells (HPCs) are generated from hemogenic endothelial cells (HECs) during the endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition (EHT); however, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, using an array of approaches, including CRSPR/Cas9 gene knockouts, RNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq, ATAC-Seq etc., we report that vitamin C (Vc) is essential in HPC generation during human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) differentiation in defined culture conditions.

Rmrp Mutation Disrupts Chondrogenesis and Bone Ossification in Zebrafish Model of Cartilage-Hair Hypoplasia via Enhanced Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling.

Cartilage-hair hypoplasia (CHH) is an autosomal recessive metaphyseal chondrodysplasia characterized by bone dysplasia and many other highly variable features. The gene responsible for CHH is the RNA component of the mitochondrial RNA-processing endoribonuclease (RMRP) gene. Currently, the pathogenesis of osteochondrodysplasia and extraskeletal manifestations in CHH patients remains incompletely understood; in addition, there are no viable animal models for CHH.

Aplnra/b Sequentially Regulate Organ Left-Right Patterning via Distinct Mechanisms.

The G protein-coupled receptor APJ/Aplnr has been widely reported to be involved in heart and vascular development and disease, but whether it contributes to organ left-right patterning is largely unknown. Here, we show that in zebrafish, coordinates organ LR patterning in an ligand-dependent manner using distinct mechanisms at different stages. During gastrulation and early somitogenesis, loss of function results in heart and liver LR asymmetry defects, accompanied by disturbed KV/cilia morphogenesis and disrupted left-sided expression in the LPM.

Stop-gain mutations in UBAP1 cause pure autosomal-dominant spastic paraplegia.

Hereditary spastic paraplegias refer to a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders resulting from degeneration of the corticospinal tract. Clinical characterization of patients with hereditary spastic paraplegias represents progressive spasticity, exaggerated reflexes and muscular weakness. Here, to expand on the increasingly broad pools of previously unknown hereditary spastic paraplegia causative genes and subtypes, we performed whole exome sequencing for six affected and two unaffected individuals from two unrelated Chinese families with an autosomal dominant hereditary spastic paraplegia and lacking mutations in known hereditary spastic paraplegia implicated genes.

The protective effect of fish-derived cathelicidins on bacterial infections in zebrafish, Danio rerio.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are severe threats to aquaculture industry. Boosting and modulating host immune responses has been proved to be an effective strategy to combat with bacterial infections and there is an urgent need for novel immunomodulators. Cathelicidins is an important family of host defense peptides (HDPs) that possess direct antimicrobial activities and potent immunomodulatory properties.

In Vitro and In Vivo Neuroprotective Effects of Stellettin B Through Anti-Apoptosis and the Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway.

Pharmaceutical agents for halting the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) are lacking. The current available medications only relieve clinical symptoms and may cause severe side effects. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel drug candidates for PD.

SAR study of celastrol analogs targeting Nur77-mediated inflammatory pathway.

Nur77, an orphan member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, plays an important role in the regulation of inflammatory processes. Our previous work found that celastrol, a pentacyclic triterpene, bound to Nur77 to inhibit inflammation in a Nur77-dependent manner. Celastrol binding to Nur77 promotes Nur77 translocation from nucleus to cytoplasm, resulting in clearance of inflamed mitochondria and then alleviation of inflammation.

SOX9 drives the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in non-small-cell lung cancer through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Background: The distant metastasis of cancer cells is a risk factor for tumor lethality and poor prognosis in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Increased SOX9 expression has been associated with clinical stage and poor prognosis in NSCLC, but the molecular mechanisms by which SOX9 promotes metastasis in NSCLC are still unknown.

Methods: The relationship between SOX9 expression and T, N, M classification was assessed using the χ test and Spearman's analysis in 142 immunohistochemically diagnosed specimens of NSCLC.